Chief - and other Legacy owners - have you noticed an increase in smoke production from TMCC I engines? My 6945 GP-30 and 3044 GP-30 sure seem to like to fill the room with smoke in less than 5 minutes… I’ll try to get some pics and post later… also last week the F&R couplers on both engines didn’t work, took them off the track and let them sit over the weekend while I was working on a bridge, put them on yesterday morning and now working again… [%-)]
Susieq stopped down yesterday and says, ‘Is that the engine I bought you for your birthday?’ ‘Yes, the one in back.’ ‘You have two of the same engine?’ ‘No. The one in front is TMCC I the one in back is Legacy.’ ‘They look the same to me.’ ‘They have different numbers, different command control systems, and the one in front is a repainted B&O and the one in back is a repainted C&O’ ‘I’ll repaint you! It’s time to go… stop playing with trains and get ready. Did you wrap your niece’s Thomas engine?’ ‘No and it’s Molly, not Thomas.’ If looks could cook I’d be burnt to a crisp… [:D] Oh, and our niece LOVED Molly… she’s yellow (or so I was informed).
Glad you’re home, Marty. Nice and sunny, but sure is cold. Got a ticket to see the Edward Hopper exhibit at the Art Institute on Wed. He has a lot of evocative railroad-y paintings. Winslow Homer is part of this thing too - no engine paintings of his to speak of…
Has the CAB-1 ever worked with the TMCC Command Base?
Did you buy them both new? (point being is to make sure no one has changed the crystal inside the Command Base to change the frequency it receives on - I assume the CAB-1 is OK since it works with your PowerMaster)?
I would take the Command Base and CAB-1 to your LHS and try out each one with their set to see which piece has the issue.
As an FYI - the standard crystal cover/holder on the Command Base says 27.255 MHz and the actual crystal that is in the cover/holder is 26.800 MHz. The cover says 27.255 MHz as this denotes the frequency the CB receives from the CAB-1 and the difference of 27.255 - 26.800 = .455 MHz (455 kHz) is the frequency that is injected onto the track for transmission to TMCC locos.
The crystal that is in the CAB-1 is 27.255 MHz.
Lionel offers different crystals and there are some on their website - but not in recognizable pairs (at least to me at the time being) to yield the 455 kHz signal to the track.
Purchased the PowerMaster & Command Base new from LHS. Got the CAB1 on line (eBay). So, no, the CAB 1 has never worked with the command base, works conventional only on the command base.
Checked the crystals, and they are just as you say. 26.800 on both base units and 27.255 on the CAB1. The CAB only works on the conventional side. If I do TR then 1, it’s ok on conv.
If I do ENG 1, then nothing, until I do TR1 and it’s back to conventional running. The CAB is the only wild card in this thing. We tried to put one on at a time, still no reception from the CAB. But it does recieve in conventional (powermaster).
I’m thinking that the CAB1 is the only wild card here. This is very strange. I know I’m not completely dense. OK, I completely opened the door on that one, so youse guys can go for it…
Just to be sure - describe how the units are hooked up - you do have a wire from the track “U” terminal on the CB hooked to the outside rail on the track or to the “U” terminal on the PM, which is turn goes to the outside rail of the track.
What does not make good sense is the CAB-1 talking to the PM, but not the CB. This tends to indicate the radio transmission portion of the CAB-1 is working. I would not rule out the CB is the culprit here.
If you have both the CB and the PM hooked up:
Does the red light flash on the CB when hitting TR1?
Does the red light flash on the PM when hitting ENG1?
As of right now, both are disconnected. Tomorrow, I’ll reinstall the command base: Transformer “A” to inside rail, U not connected. Connect U from command base to track. And hope something talks to something else…[banghead] cough, cough…[(-D]
Mailman finished reading my CTT and delivered it today. Finally got to see the real pg.21,pg39,and really liked the carwash on pg 53. Also have heard some good words about the williams ad on the back cover. Sunny but still only in the 30s today, did some grocery shopping and played golf with Arnold Palmer(PS2). Grandsons are out of school this week so granny and DIL took them to a movie.
Brutus,Doug,Kurt, got fresh banilla,peach and butter pecan,peanut butter for Chewy smooth or crunchy. Any one else that wants to come ok,Brutus knows where the key is. Later,S.J.
Rich,
Um… are you sure the U terminal on your CW80 is ‘Common’?
Also, I could be off base here but in order to use the transformer or PM with the CB and Cab1 without the TPC is to use the TMCC Lockon?
Also, make sure that all your units are in phase.
Have you tried:
Trans A - inside rail
CB wire - Trans U
Trans U - outside rail
That is how mine is setup and working great. The odd thing is the ‘switch’ on your PM to switch from Conv to TMCC… never heard of this… how old is the unit?
Brent…I believe you are correct, when I set up my TMCC seven years ago, I remember the dealer asking me if I was only going to run CC locomotives. When I told him I wanted to run both conventional and command, the TMCC lockon was not purchased, but the PM left the store. Now I use a TPC 300 and two 180 W bricks…because that is what Roy told me to do!!! [bow]
Brent, shame on you for throwing the cat outside. [:-^] Good chat [deer thought so too [(-D]]. Tell Susan her GRITS are on the way. Now go run some trains. Finished watching Two and One Half Men. [(-D] CSI Miami at 10.
Sorry I’m so late. Brain dead from training today. I just got caught up on stuff with the kids and wife got home from scouts. CTT arrived, will read it in a minute or 2. Rich, when you get it working, could you please update us on how? Sounds like fun in the FIFEdom. Sir James, I am on the way. Doug and Kurt, good to go?
Doug: Edward Hopper??? He did Nighthawks…The one looking into a diner at night…right? The one everyone has wrapped in neon now…[%-)] I didn’t know he did trains. Great tip!
Sir James: I’ll be a little late…I’ll stop on the way and pick-up Doug and Butus.
I received a phone call from the above last night and seems he missed the part where I found the car gaurding the furnace! She thinks when the furnace comes on that the mice are back and heads to the basement to investigate. [%-)] He He… Susan and Grits… LOL!!! She told me last night she doesn’t eat that [censored] and if you sent it she’ll burn that [censored][censored]. She could make a sailor blush and go to church for blessings! [:O]
Watched Big Bang Theory last night. Sheldon reminds me of a male Susan… that’s all I’m going to say.
Cut the temporary supports for the under girder bridge last night and mocked it up. Also finished installing the carpet padding sub roadbed on the 2nd level. After that I decided to test the load baring on the new bridge. [tup][tup] Looks like a winner. Now just have to decide how to dress it up and then paint it. After looking at some pictures online I may change the supports though as I think stone piers would look better.
Morning. Off to meetings. Back after lunch. Did get some train time in last night. Brent, didn’t you get the word? Buckeye is making piers, rollers and etc for all of us. [:-^] Got to love that Buckeye. [:O][;)] Hope all have a good day [including those in the cold baren MI]. God bless.